Assistant to Head of School – School Leadership Job California area,Missouri USA,Education / Teaching

Position Summary

Salary: $90,000–$110,000 per year, depending on experience and qualifications

High Bluff Academy (HBA) is seeking an experienced education professional with strong judgment and leadership potential to serve as Assistant to the Head of School – School Leadership.

This is not a traditional administrative or executive assistant position. It is a hands‑on school leadership role working directly with the Head of School. The position focuses on moving important school priorities forward, coordinating across functions, resolving complex issues, strengthening organizational effectiveness, and gradually taking on broader leadership responsibilities as experience and trust develop.

High Bluff Academy is a well‑established private high school that has served the San Diego community for 24 years. HBA is WASC‑accredited and SEVP‑certified to enroll international students on F‑1 visas. The school currently serves approximately 50 full‑time, on‑campus students, as well as nearly 200 students enrolled in online courses.

As HBA enters its next stage of development, we are strengthening our internal leadership, expanding academic programs, and developing new external partnerships.

Key Responsibilities

Move Important Priorities Forward – Work directly with the Head of School to turn important goals, decisions, and initiatives into action. Take ownership of assigned priorities, follow through with the appropriate team members, and help ensure that important work is completed.

Coordinate Across Functions – Coordinate work involving multiple areas of the school. When responsibilities are unclear, communication breaks down, priorities conflict, or progress stalls, bring the appropriate people together, clarify responsibilities, and help move the issue toward resolution—without unnecessarily taking over the day‑to‑day responsibilities of other school leaders.

Resolve Complex Problems – Take ownership of complex issues that require investigation, coordination, and judgment. Resolve matters independently when appropriate; when a decision from the Head of School is needed, provide clear facts, analysis, options, and recommendations rather than simply passing the problem upward.

Strengthen the Organization – Identify meaningful opportunities to improve communication, workflows, accountability, and organizational effectiveness. Recommend practical solutions that make the school more effective and easier to manage without creating unnecessary bureaucracy.

Support the Head of School and School Leadership – Provide thoughtful and candid input on school management and important decisions, and help carry decisions through to effective implementation. As knowledge of HBA, performance, and trust develop, take on increasing responsibility for school‑wide coordination and internal leadership.

Qualifications

Master’s degree or higher
Professional experience in a high school or secondary school setting
Experience in school leadership, management, project ownership, or organizational coordination
Strong judgment, problem‑solving, communication, and interpersonal skills
Ability to take initiative, assume ownership, and follow important work through to completion
Comfortable working in a small‑school environment where leaders are expected to be hands‑on

Preferred Qualifications

Experience as a Dean, Assistant Principal, Principal, Director, Department Chair, or in a comparable school leadership role
Experience supervising faculty or staff
Experience with WASC or other school accreditation processes
Experience with international students or international education programs
Experience with online or hybrid education
Experience developing new programs or external educational partnerships
Professional proficiency in Mandarin Chinese

Depending on the candidate’s background and interests, there may also be an opportunity to teach one course while serving in this leadership role.